He’s not worried about the fight – it’s the crowds and being the centre of attention that scare him!
Acorn Reuse Team Leader Matt Carr will be taking part in the next white collar boxing event in November. Matt, who turned 40 last year, has started the 14 weeks of intensive training and is enjoying the focus it gives him.
“I love all of it – the discipline, the intensity, learning some new skills and pushing myself,” he said. “I use running and fitness for my own mental health. In some periods of my life, I have struggled with depression, but exercise is something that keeps me focused.
“Nowadays I am open with my colleagues and friends about how at times I can struggle with my mental health and how over the years it’s held me back by not addressing things or pretending that it didn’t affect me as much as it did. I have now learned different strategies and techniques to maintain better mental health, and exercise has been a big part of that. I notice the difference if I stop or am not able to do any training for a period of time.”
Matt, who is being sponsored by ROK Construction and Rossborough Financial Services Ltd, is raising funds for Acorn Enterprises, where he has worked for more than seven years.
“Acorn is a big part of my life and I love working with the team and clients, helping to grow and create more opportunities for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions,” he said. “I’ve seen first-hand how much Acorn can support individuals in so many ways. It’s a unique place with lots of unique people who all bring something amazing to the place.”
And thanks to an appeal on LinkedIn, generous donors came forward to pay for tickets to enable six of his colleagues (who would not otherwise be able to afford the ticket price) to support him on the night.
Matt is grateful to Cameron Elliot and the team at Transform Together who are training 50 fighters for the two-night event on 12th-13th November, which will take a Gangs of New York theme and which will also raise money for the main charity Silkworth Lodge.
Matt added: “I don’t mind the training. I don’t mind being hit. Honestly, I don’t mind if I win or lose. My fear is walking out in front of crowds, getting in the ring and being the centre of attention. I sometimes struggle even to go to family events if there’s that many people there, so this really is a huge personal challenge. That will be a huge hurdle to overcome.”
